CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
them on display at the back of our
set, so that all of the talks will be
filmed in front of them. It's a really
cool thing and I'm very excited to
do it. We never got to do anything
like that for 2016 and I hope we can
continue more community outreach
and stuff like this,” Beyrer said.
In between speakers, there will be
break activities for guests, includ
ing visits from therapy dogs and
stress relief tool resources. Lunch
will also be provided to all guests.
“It’s been a wild ride. It’s very
close and we’re doing so much
work, we’re almost there,” Beyrer
said.
The event will take place on
March 3 in the Humanities Lecture
Hall. Student rush tickets are still
available for the sold-out event.
Students are asked to arrive at 8:30
a.m. with their OneCards if they
wish to claim tickets.
RACIAL EQUALITY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
demanding change is not the only
means of racial justice advance
ment. Positive black representation
in media is imperative to progress.
After groundbreaking social media
movements such as #OscarsSoW-
hite of 2015, Hollywood and other
media platforms have made more
of an effort to be inclusive. But
there is still quite a bit of misunder
standing within media. People of
color do not need permission from
Hollywood, media or the govern
ment — people of color need them
to move the hell out of the way.
Black history cannot be con
tained in Black History Month
According to the U.S. African
American History Month web
site, black history month was a
concept created by historian and
Harvard graduate Carter G. Wood-
son, and was originally observed
for one week in February begin
ning in 1926. The idea caught on
#' # 1
m*
The TEDxUNCAsheville leadership team prepares for their event on March 3.
PHOTO BY HAILEY JOHNSTON
and gained tremendous populari
ty through the advocacy of Afri
can-American communities. Presi
dent Gerald Ford then expanded the
observance to a full month starting
in 1976. While Black History
Month is undeniably an important
part of every year in the U.S., too
often we subscribe to whitewashed
versions of black history that leave
out the most important parts and
whole truths.
The month-long observation of
black history may lead people to
believe black history is not Amer
ican history, but an appendage of
American history — a side note to
mention. Furthermore, when cel
ebrating black history for a single
month, we suggest that it can be
forgotten after the designated 28
days. It gives people permission to
not think about it for the rest of the
year. But in truth, every single day
that black communities persevere
and demand equity is black history.
What We Must Understand
Malcolm X, who was assassinat
ed on the the 21st of this month in
1965, famously said, “Our history
did not begin in chains.”
Understand black history does
not start with enslavement forced
upon stolen people, broken fam
ilies and destroyed lives. What is
taught in American schools regard
ing black history merely skims the
surface of a world history that runs
rich and more deeply than we can
ever fully know.
Understand the civil rights move
ment did not fix things. The New
York Times said the FBI tagged
Martin Luther King, Jr. as the most
dangerous man in the U.S. after his
“I Have a Dream Speech,” as he
threatened to dismantle the forced
oppression of black lives.
King was assassinated less than
eight months after his famous
speech. While progress was made
through the undying dedication
and sacrifices made by activists,
ordinary citizens and the passing of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, fur
ther efforts for true equal treatment
were squelched by King’s murder.
The civil rights movement caused
the government to step up their op
pressive efforts in new and more
clever ways. Jim Crow laws were
replaced by mass incarceration,
disenfranchisement, education and
employment inequities, the War on
Drugs and racial profiling.
The only people who should be
satisfied with the results of the civ
il rights movement are those who
stomped it out.
Understand every advancement
is noteworthy and necessary, that
black lives must be respected, en
couraged and celebrated.
Each day the U.S. witnesses peo
ple of color tearing down walls to
ward racial justice, cultural appre
ciation, real black representation,
real black love, real black bodies,
real black culture, real black opin
ions, real black lives, real change
— and it all matters.